Saturday, April 28, 2007

Dragonship, Lionsgate, Screaming Symphony reviews

Dragonship – Set The Sails Demo CD (Independent)

One of the most pleasant moments for me is when a debut demo causes waves of musical pleasure to my ears! That's what happened with the kick-off demo from Dragonship! Formed in 2004 from guitarists Cole and Lyon, Dragonship is a classy band already! 4 songs present the band's abilities and from the first notes of "Spill Their Blood", anyone who appreciates good Metal can have the time of his life! "Spill The Blood" is a song based on Neo-Classical metal structures, with double bass drums and pretty melodic solos. Guitarist Cole handles also the vocals and he's doing a fine job! His voice is clean and handles quite well the high scales. "Set The Sails" begins with a galloping riff and is another qualitative song from Dragonship. This time the band also shows its devotion to Epic / Power Metal and even this style is definitely out of fashion in current music industry, I'll stay with them all the way. "Predestined Fatality" also reflects some progressive elements, while "Green Hills, Blue Skies" reveal also some European Metal traces, with lyrics inspired by Nordic Mythology. No words left to say here, music is the champion, so I think that Dragonship deserve anyone's attention! You can order "Set The Sails" from the band's web-site : (http://www.dragonship.org/) and also feel free to check the band's mySpace profile: http://www.myspace.com/dragonshipDimitris Starakis

Lionsgate – Promo Tracks from forthcoming CDNowadays, we witness lots of different trends rising from the States and unfortunately there not plenty of space for bands that are struggling for Metal that can resist every short-living tendency. But thank God, bands like Lionsgate are here to refuse and to resist these crappy situations! Chad Sloan, the guitarist who was announced best guitarist for 2003 by MP3.com, formed Lionsgate in 2003 and with the addition of singer Paul DeBellis, the band's line-up was stable enough to start creating their first try. Lionsgate's musical identity can be best described as Neo-classical Heavy Metal with powerful vocals and a thunderous atmosphere! Chad's riffs are surprisingly heavy, while Paul's vocals give the biggest amount of power to the music. I must also not forget to mention the powerful and solid drumming of Reg James, an necessary ingredient for every Metal band that wants a steady "time-keeper"! Songs appear on the promo that I hold in my hands leave me with great anticipation for Lionsgate's debut, which will come out on February! "Liar" is the band's speediest song, while "See you in Hell" comes with a wonderful acoustic change in the chorus. In "See you…" there's also a wonderful acoustic solo from Chad so virtuosity is once again plays the leading role! "Falling From Grace" could easily find place in a soundtrack of an Epic film such as "Braveheart" or "Conan The Barbarian", with some grandiose moments that will make you push the repeat button of your CD player! "Nikita Suite OP.3" is the instrumental track of the CD, and already has many fans over the internet. In that particular song, Chad shows his great appreciation for Baroque music, since the melodies coming out from his scalloped Stratocaster are just vividly emotional! I enjoyed all songs that the bands brought to light until now and I'm pretty sure that the debut CD from the band will struck the Metal world. So, don't say you haven't been warned! Visit Lionsgate profile: http://www.myspace.com/lionsgateband and keep an eye for the release date of the album!P.S.: Chad is also ready to release his first instructional DVD on April titled "Axe To The Grindstone" through Fretfire Productions.Dimitris Starakis

Screaming Symphony – Power Of Metal demo CD (Cosmic Balance)

A young and promising band from Japan is definitely Screaming Symphony, judging from this demo CD that I hold in my hands. 3 songs of pure Power/Speed Metal which in times brings to mind the early RAGE is the band's musical style and I have to say that they are really good musicians, while their compositions are quite interesting! Screaming Symphony mix quite well melody with power and result is satisfying and promising! The production of the demo CD is crystal clear, something which proves that this young band is really careful on their moves! I can't say much since these are only 3 songs but I'm sure that the band has also more tracks that will satisfy our needs!Screaming Symphony – 3 song promo CDI was lucky enough to attend a Screaming Symphony in Tokyo and I purchased this 3-track promo directly from the band's concert. This promo featured 3 brand new tracks in rough mix and probably all songs are destined to appear in the band's first full-length album. The style of the band remains unchanged: Speed Metal with strong RAGE influences combined with melodic choruses and harsh vocals. In this three-tracker appears also the band's best song to date: "Into Hell" is a wonderful Speed Metal song with catchy melodies and also the band's favorite live track, if I judge from their live performance!Band's web-site: http://dr-k.vis.ne.jp/ss/Dimitris Starakis